For Faculty

Photo of the outside of the Friends Center.

The urban setting of Philadelphia provides a sense of place to enhance the classroom experience, helping students learn first hand how the material in the courses is informed by the environment around them.

The Tri-Co Philly Program provides resources for faculty and their students to engage with Philadelphia in two ways.

For faculty interested in connecting their courses with Philadelphia, the program offers Philadelphia Engagement Grants of up to $500. These funds are designed to enrich the curricular content of an on-campus class by facilitating student experiences in the city. Experiences can range from a one-time experience and travel, e.g. a play; a visit to a research lab; a visit to a neighborhood or organization; admission to a museum or archive, to more sustained engagement with the city, such as multiple visits to the city or collaboration with an organization. These activities have to happen in Philadelphia.

There are two calls per academic year. For the fall semester, the Philadelphia Engagement Grant application is available in early July and due in early August, with awards made before the start of the fall semester. For the spring semester, the Philadelphia Engagement Grant application is available in early December and due in early January, with awards made before the start of the spring semester. Faculty with questions about the application grant or a proposed activity can reach out to Calista Cleary.

The application for Spring 2026 Philadelphia Engagement Grants is now available. The deadline to apply is: Monday, January 5, by 11:59 p.m.

Teaching a Course in Philadelphia
Faculty interested in teaching a class in Philadelphia should contact Calista Cleary to discuss course proposals for the Tri-Co Philly Program. Each November a call goes out (due December) to solicit Tri-Co Philly courses for the following academic year. Classes are taught at the Friends Center to support regular interactions with the city. Each semester, three Tri-Co faculty offer courses in the program. For more information regarding possible curricular ideas or grants, contact Calista Cleary, Program Director. Through the Tri-Co Philly Program, faculty also teach urban-focused, experiential classes, once a week, in Philadelphia for a cohort of Tri-Co students.

Course proposals are now being accepted for the 2026–2027 academic year. Proposals are due by Wednesday, December 3, 2025.